W. R. (NYbooks) reviewed on 9/7/2015 + 95 more book reviews

* * ½*. Sci/Fi. While on Mars, a NASA crew suddenly departs leaving one man behind. Now thought dead, the lone astronaut, Mark Watney, must survive a barren wasteland with only a minimum of supplies and sustenance.

You could subtitle this book "Apollo 13 meets Castaway on Mars". The book could have been shorter. I found myself fast forwarding at times through the technical jargon, a lot, of technical jargon.

What saved the book for me:1) Mark Watney's sarcastic humor. 2) The peril he faced as the sole inhabitant of this neighboring planet 3) The laymen explanations converting all the science-speak, thus forwarding the plot.

Add a star * if you're a fan of calculating number conversions in novels.

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